Secret Beneath the Roses
Chapter Seventeen: The Rose Reawakens
A/N: Rosalie finally comes back in this chapter. But how will Alice react to seeing her?
The Volturi returned victorious from their battle, the rogues numbers having finally been decimated once and for all. Only a handful had survived, a small handful that would not be enough to be a threat to the great and mighty ancient vampires and their royal guards. The Volturi had suffered causalities of their own but none too serious and in the end, like Alice had foreseen, the three leaders had held the heads of their defeated enemies up, reveling in their triumph.
That was why, when they returned back to their base, drunk off of their success, they were caught off guard by what awaited them. The first sign that something was wrong should have been that there were no guards around. The place was always crawling with them.
Marcus was the first to notice and he tugged on Aro's sleeves to draw his attention to the matter but the man was too busy skipping and humming to himself about his conquests to pay attention to the quiet man. It was only after he had entered the Great Hall, the place where he greeted all his visitors and held court, that he noticed something was wrong.
"Well, well. Who do we have here?" he asked, clasping his hands together, his pleasant mood souring.
Who was it? Alice was curious and strained on her toes to see over the heads of the vampires in front of her as she had no idea who Aro was addressing. Rosalie, who was holding her hand, gave it a gentle squeeze. "Patience, Alice," she said, a smile gracing her lips. Alice drew her attention back to her and smiled back, causing Jane to make a gagging noise behind her. Alice fixed her with a glare but the girl had already moved on to paying attention to the intruders.
"You kill all my guards, and expect me to hold court for you?" Aro's high pitched voice exclaimed, clearly insulted. "What a rude greeting. Is this how to choose to greet an old friend, Carlisle?" Alice's heart leaped at that. Carlisle? He was back here? How was that possible? Alice once again strained onto her toes to see only to have Rosalie tug her down, this time in annoyance. Had he come for her and Rosalie? Was he going to set them free from the Volturi? Hope swelled in her chest. She wanted to see him!
A stern but warm voice answered and Alice knew it was Carlisle for certain. There was no mistaking the tone and afflictions he used, specific to him in his speech. "It was not my intention to be rude. But you called us to court." Aro had?
"I did indeed. This is because you broke yet another one of my rules. And instead of groveling for my forgiveness you come, slaughter my guards and defiantly stare at me. Are you asking for trouble?"
"Kill him and the girl," Caius muttered. "Solve two problems at once." What girl was Caius talking about? Was it Alice? Or Rosalie? Alice fidgeted, wishing she was taller so she could see who else from the Cullen's was here.
"Our answer to your summons is this, Aro: No. We refuse to kill Bella or her child." These words froze Alice. Bella had a child? With who? Certainly not Edward. He was a vampire, and vampires couldn't reproduce...
"And we have also come for Alice. We want our daughter back, Aro," Carlisle said but Alice hadn't heard that part. She was already moving through the crowd, snatching her hand free of Rosalie's hold. She had to see them. If Bella was here...was the whole family here?
She burst through, coming to a stop right next to the three leaders. If her heart could beat it would be pounding right now, blood rushing through her veins. Her face cracked into a smile. There in front of her was her family. It looked like they hadn't aged a day. Carlisle was standing at the front of the family, who was in the middle of the throne room, backs held up right and proud. Esme was by his side, holding onto his arm supportively, her motherly features drawn up in feral devotion. Jasper stood behind her, hands in his pockets, Emmett looking uncharacteristically serious next to him. Edward was close by, arms holding Bella protectively, whose own arms were holding up a child girl. Bella had changed from the last Alice remembered her. Her skin was paler, more flawless and her eyes glimmered gold. She was a vampire.
Alice let a gasp escape her lips. When had this happened? Alice's visions had foretold nothing of this. They had, however, wavered temporarily in their ability and reach, so that could explain the lack of knowledge about this. Alice wondered how it had happened, and how the child had occurred if Bella was a vampire now. Too many questions, no way to ask. She turned her attention onto the final Cullen and took in a huge shaky breath. There, standing in all her beauty and glory, was Rosalie. Alice began to feel the world sway around her. What was going on? Why was Rosalie on that side?
She felt a cold hand grab her own and turned to see Rosalie had caught up to her, her gaze worried and disapproving. "Don't run away from me, little one. I was worried." Her words were sweet and husky but they only distracted Alice for a millisecond from her tortured thoughts. There were two Rosalie's? Why?
"Alice!" Carlisle gave a surprised cry at Alice's arrival to the front of the army. Aro gave at a tsk at her being upfront but it was now too late for her to go back and hide.
"My baby girl, you're okay!" Esme let out a huge sigh of relief, her eyes nearly tearing up. Emmett gave a big whoop at her appearance, Jasper's face broke out into a huge smile and so did Edwards. "Alice, oh my god so it is true. They forced you into the Volturi," Bella sobbed, happy to see her friend but saddened by her predicament. The child in her arms picked up on her emotions and gave her mother a hug, attempting to soothe her.
But the person who was most excited to see Alice was Rosalie. "Alice!" she cried out and made to take a step forward but Jasper held out an arm to hold her back. She heeded it but there was so much pure unadulterated joy and hope in her voice and face that Alice felt drawn to go to her, like a moth to fire. A strong hand clamping over hers stopped her from going.
"Rosalie, what's going on?" she asked the blonde next to her. "Why are there two?"
"I don't know," she whispered back. "Somethings wrong here. I don't want you approaching. It could not be safe." Alice nodded her head obediently, not tearing her gaze from the blonde across the court, watching her with curious and cautious eyes.
"Carlisle you cannot have Alice back. She's still due for two more years, and I'd say that she is quite comfortable here, right?" Aro cast a smirk at Sulpicia's and Alice's conjoined hands. The Cullen families eyes followed his words.
"No," Esme gasped, raising a hand to her mouth. "Alice you don't mean to tell me-"
"Let go of her you bitch! She's my mate!" Rosalie roared, breaking past Jasper's arm and on her way to fight for her mate when Emmett and Jasper both jumped on her, holding the thrashing girl back as she kicked and screeched with all her energy. They pulled her back, muscles straining as they contained her. Again Alice felt a tug on her chest towards the blonde but soon forgot about it as the Rosalie next to her enveloped her arms protectively around the smaller girl. The scent of roses and heavy spice encircled Alice, making her eyes lid drowsily.
"Get your dirty hands off of her Sulpicia!" Rosalie snarled, a bit calmer than seconds before. Jasper must have been using his gift on her. Sulpicia? Alice glanced up to see if in fact the woman holding her was Sulpicia but it wasn't. It was just Rosalie. What was going on here? Her brain said there was more to this, and that she should look deeper, but the sweet embrace of Rosalie's turned those doubts into mush.
"Or what, Cullen? What will you do? Alice is my mate not yours," Rosalie smugly said, stroking a finger down Alice's cheek.
"Bullshit! Alice, Alice come to your senses. What are you doing with her, it's me, Rosalie. Snap out of it and see Sulpicia for who she really is!" Rosalie looked ready to crawl out of her skin from anger, her fangs bared, eyes black. She twisted and thrashed in her brother's grip as they struggled to hold on. They both knew that Rosalie was a powerhouse to reckon with. Emmett only hoped that Jasper's gift would stave off her anger and violence, yet Sulpicia was insistent on acting in a manner would elicit such violent responses from the blonde.
Alice shook her head, it beginning to throb. "Don't listen to her little one. She's lying. I know what she is. She is a succubus. This is some trick, some test that Aro has put for us. This cannot be our actual family. They'd never make it past his royal guards. If we run to our family now then he will order his guards back at Forks, Washington to kill them all."
"Then why aren't they calling for you?" Alice asked, her brain whirling in confusion.
"Because my dear, I've never been a flight risk. I was content being around you wherever we may be, heaven or hell. But you always wanted to go back home, so thus this test. You already passed the test of the battle, pass this one for me too Alice. Please, I need you." The last phrase was said with so much need that all of Alice's doubts caved. Rosalie was right, this had to be some test Aro was putting her under. After all why would Bella be a vampire, the thing that Edward swore he would never let happen.
"Stop touching her!" the other Rosalie, the fake one, snarled, still in the grips of her brothers. "Touch her one more time and I'll-"
"Touch her like this?" Rosalie inquired, bringing Alice's face closer to her own and kissing her cheek softly. The cry of rage that left the other Rosalie was enough to send shivers of fear down Alice's back. It promised blood. Death. Vengeance for the wrongs committed and the end of the world. If this was a test, it was certainly hard. And scary. The blonde began thrashing violently again and no amount of soothing from Jasper would ease her down. Her mate bond called for retribution for such acts against her mate. Her mate. HER MATE ALICE!
"Rosalie," Alice spoke at last. "Or you who claims to be Rosalie."
"What are you talking about? There is only one of me. I'm the only Rosalie." Rosalie interrupted, her tone hurt, her eyes glimmering with unshed tears.
"Yea, Alice. She's the real deal," Emmett said, grunting to contain the volatile girl.
"Alice you're not making any sense. Explain yourself," Carlisle demanded.
Alice narrowed her eyes at them. They were fake, a test. She had nothing to explain to them. Her real family was safe back at home. "Here is the real Rosalie." She raised her hand, still clasped tightly to Sulpicia's. "You are all fakes, meant to confuse me."
"She's gone crazy," Edward muttered in horror as Bella let out a gasp.
"No, she can't be," Rosalie whined, sagging in her brother's hold, as if all the life had gone out of her. "What did they do to you?" This part was said in a horrified whisper.
"She's not crazy," Carlisle rationalized as Esme gave out a cry of horror at what had been done to her daughter. "She's been disillusioned. I know the capabilities of Sulpicia's powers. She had something to do with this." He looked angry, ready to tear the mentioned woman apart.
"Aro," Caius muttered, glaring at the Volturi leader. "Do something about this situation here, before I feel the need to start tearing open throats."
"Yes, yes," Aro waved a hand, dismissing the man's threats. Addressing the Cullens he gave a small smile. "I don't think we have the time to chit chat. Alice is loving her stay here and is quite content to work for the Volturi. That topic is done and finished with. As for Bella's child, hand it over."
Instantly all the Cullen's were on the defensive, snarling, shoulders squaring up. "How rude, don't you think?" Aro turned to Caius and Marcus, tsking. The two vampires ignored his comment. "The child," Caius growled. "Kill her or I will."
"Right," Aro lifted up his hands. "As Caius here said, she must be killed. She cannot be allowed to live. She is too dangerous. She will bring untold damage to the world should her powers ever go out of control."
"That is not true," Carlisle said. "We have found information that proves otherwise. We have done our research Aro, unlike you, who chooses to ignorantly continue believing children of human and vampire heritage are a threat to our existence."
"Carlisle," Rosalie hissed, interrupting her father. "About Alice-"
"Not now," Jasper cut her off.
"But-"
"Later. Bella's child's life is of first importance right now," he chided and she shut up but her gaze never left Alice. The pixie felt unnerved by her staring. So many emotions ran across her face, most strongly desperation and Alice tried to ignore it, crane her head away and bury her face into the crook of her Rosalie's neck. The real one.
"We want to negotiate with you," Carlisle insisted.
"Negotiate after you killed our guards?" Aro spread out his hands, ticked off more than he appeared.
"They tried to kill us first," Emmett explained. "We only did what we had to."
"Aro," Caius growled out again. "Get this over with, stop stalling."
Aro ignored him. "And how would you negotiate this deal with me, when you have nothing that you could possibly offer me. I already took your only bargaining chip; Alice."
Carlisle winced at this memory. "We still have something you might be interested in."
"Aro!" Cauis yelled, startling the man and everyone who stood next to him with his outburst. "Stop trying to make deals. That vampire is no longer your friend. Do not hesitate to strike him down. He shat all over your rules not once but thrice and you still waver when coming to a decision on his fate," he barked, angry.
Aro looked mad and confused at the other vampires accusations. "Be silent you!" At that moment Alice felt the familiar tug of a coming vision on her mind. She dropped into it so harshly it made her breath catch in her throat. What she saw inside only made her uneasy and horrified and it threw her mind into a horrid truth. Surfacing out of it just as quickly as she had entered it, she pulled free of her mates grip and rushed to Aro. "You have to see this!" she exclaimed touching the Volturi leader by the shoulder, knowing he could see everything she had seen through this method. He froze as her vision flooded his mind. Caius looked none too happy his argument with the Volturi leader had been interrupted. Snorting contemptuously he pushed past Aro and Alice. "That's it. I'm taking charge of this my self. Volturi army attack the Cullen's!"
"No!" Alice howled. "Don't do it!" She let go of Aro and he came out of the vision, shaking his head as to clear it from drops of water. "Caius, cease this at once!" he ordered but the room had erupted into chaos. The army did not hesitate to charge at the Cullen's who were horribly out numbered or so it seemed. With a loud cry, the glass dome ceiling of the court shattered as bodies rained down from it. Except these weren't regular bodies. They were wolves, the Quiluetes to be exact. And among them were vampires, some of which Alice didn't recognize and one's she did. Tanya, Kate and Irina were there. She hadn't seen the Denali's since her stint all those years. The memory brought a sharp pain to her head and she quickly dropped it.
"They've brought a whole army to fight us, those sneaky little-" but whatever Alice's Rosalie was going to say was cut off by Aro. He grabbed her by the shoulders. "Sulpicia, you have to help me. Stop Caius. If we do not then Alice's vision will come true and I will die. Do you hear this! I will die by Edward Cullen's own hand!" The poor vampire was absolutely terrified, his voice panicky.
Rosalie's eyebrow went up in surprise at hearing this before a deadly smile danced upon her lips. "You're going to die? Don't be over dramatic dear." She patted his pale cheek. "Now get out there and fight the Cullen's."
The great hall was a mess of tangling and twisting bodies, of mouth and teeth snapping at flesh. Cries of pain, of loss, of victory, stained the air, forming an alarming song of war. Alice let herself be drawn into the fray, never straying from her mate's side too far. She wasn't going to let a repeat of what happened last time occur. She would protect her mate against anyone tooth and nail, or at least almost anyone. The fake Rosalie slammed into her mates side, howling with unleashed rage. Alice had only been able to stand, petrified by her inability to do anything as she couldn't tell which one was her mate and which was the enemy. Now that they were so close to one another, now that her body was free of her Rosalie's touch, she was confused. But which one had been her Rosalie to begin with?
"Get off of me you fake!" Rosalie snarled, slicing at the other Rosalie's throat only to miss. The two were a tangled mess of long limbs and bouncy blonde hair. Alice couldn't tell where one ended and where the other began. They tussled on the floor for a while, spitting venomous curses at each other, interspersed with regular speech.
"You're the fake! You tricked Alice and I will never let you walk away alive for that!" the other blonde hissed, clawing a path down Rosalie's face and taking layers of hardened skin with it. She let out a shriek and pushed the other away.
"I'm the fake? How about we let Alice decide. She would know best, wouldn't she?" Rosalie said, struggling to avoid getting pinned down or clawed at by the other Rosalie anymore. They at last managed to roll into a mutual position, one in which they were standing apart, breath ragged and glaring at each other, waiting for Alice to speak up.
"So little one, tell me, which one is your true mate?" Cooed the Rosalie whose face had been clawed into a disastrous mess. She cracked her neck, and sniffed, her attention never wavering from the opponent in front of her.
"Little one?" Rosalie wrinkled her nose in disgust. "I would never call her that!" The battle might as well not existed for her, all that her senses were attuned on now was killing Sulpicia and getting Alice back.
"Then what would you have called her?" Rosalie bared her teeth.
"That's not important right now, what is, is that Alice comes to her senses!" Alice full body grimaced, feeling the pressure of their demands weigh on her. It didn't help that there was a time constraint. No other vampire had attacked them but that was surely to be short lived as there were no absolute moments of tranquility in a fight.
Both blondes were getting impatient. "I'm the real Rosalie!" said the one on the left. "No, I'm the real Rosalie!" Claimed the one on the right. Then when Alice was still quiet: "Pick me!"
Alice felt panic settle in. She didn't know which was the right one! They both felt similar! They looked the same and they sounded the same! How could she tell? Besides hadn't Rosalie said that one was entirely fake; a test meant for Alice? She gulped heavily and wrung her hands in indecisiveness.
"Little one, I'm the right Rosalie. I know all about your exploits with the Volturi. I know how badly you miss home and how you love spending your time at the library." That was correct. Alice smiled relieved. Clearly this was the right Rosalie! She knew about her time with the Volturi.
"She's not me, Alice. Don't listen to her! I know all about your past with the Cullens. How you love to draw, how you love decorating rooms. How you're a little ball of energy and completely in love with me." The last part of the sentence was said softly, almost pleading. This was also correct. But both Rosalie's couldn't be correct. One had to be wrong! Alice grabbed her head with her hands. This made no sense! What was going on? Her mate bond thrummed inside her chest, going back and forth from one blonde to the other. The thing meant to be a compass for her love was useless to her in this instance!
"Kiss me."
"Huh?" Alice was brought out of her inner musings by the out of place request.
"Kiss me," the Rosalie on the left said. "Then you'll really know which one of us is real." A smug grin laced her lips, the skin on her face re-knitting and repairing itself from the earlier damage it had taken.
"Alice no! Don't kiss her!" the Rosalie on the right screamed, real panic in her eyes, hand outstretched to her, but Alice only shrugged. "It's a good idea. I know that the mate bond will feel strongest for my true mate."
With that Alice approached Sulpicia and lifted her head up to kiss her. Rosalie couldn't take it, the seconds till Alice's and Sulpicia's lips meeting seeming like an eternity of torture. She couldn't let Alice do this. She just couldn't. Her body moved before she could think it and she knocked Alice out of the way, snatching her up and running out with her. She left the Great Hall, the sounds of battle drifting farther away the more distance the blonde put between them and it.
"Put me down!" Alice yelled pounding against the blonde's ample chest. Rosalie grimaced in pain but did not put the girl down until they were safely inside a room. She catapulted Alice into a couch across the room and locked the doors behind them. Alice landed with a loud smack on the couches, after doing a parabola through the air, but was up on her feet and ready to fight if need arise. She didn't know which Rosalie this was and until then she didn't trust her. Rosalie slowly turned to look at her, her eyes gleaming in the dark as she spoke a single word. "Alice."
The way she said the pixies name filled Alice with nostalgia, with a sensation of warmth, of weightlessness, of freedom, of love, of struggle. It made her eyes prick with tears and she uncurled her hands.
Her mate bond surged in her chest but was it right this time? Was this the right Rosalie? She parted her lips, a single name falling from her mouth. "Rosalie."
